


Getting In Shape Again

by Mandergee



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Agents of Shield Season 2 spoilers, Contains spoilers for "The Dirty Half Dozen", Gen, Therapy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-29
Updated: 2015-04-29
Packaged: 2018-03-26 07:17:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3841978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mandergee/pseuds/Mandergee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Coulson finally realizes he needs someone to have his back in an entirely different way, he seeks out the one person he knows he can trust to help him get his mind in shape again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Getting In Shape Again

**Author's Note:**

> One more warning: literally, the episode aired an hour ago, east coast time. SPOILERS for "The Dirty Half Dozen".   
> Enjoy.

“ Nice place. Girlfriend have a hand in decorating?” He paused in the doorway and surveyed the space, wide windows allowing the sun to bathe the beige carpeting and soft blue chairs in natural light. 

“ If that’s your subtle way of finding out if I’m seeing anyone, Phil- it won’t work. We’re not here to discuss my personal life.” Andrew’s approach was just as he remembered, deflecting the personal with professional, and without prompting Phil took a seat in one of the chairs opposite the heavy oak desk as Andrew circled around it to sit. “You came because you said you needed a favor. I thought you’d send Melinda.”

“ Not for this. Besides...she’s taking care of a few things back at the base.” The truth of it had been that he’d wanted to bring her, wanted to tell her that he was seeking out help that wasn’t  _ hers  _ and have her there to see if it would help her understand his secrets.  She’d been everything he’d needed while the writing plagued his every thought, but he couldn’t talk about being broken to someone who still  _ was _ -because he wouldn't be responsible for setting her back when she was finally learning to feel again. “This favor, Andrew- it’s for me.”

“ I see.” As Andrew leaned forward his brow lifted, and he gestured at Phil’s hand resting on the surface of the desk. Sometimes it came back, the urge to write, although it no longer required him to produce results, and his fingers were absently tracing an unseen alien pattern against the leather blotter. “Something to do with that, maybe? Nervous impulses? I don't remember you ever being nervous before.”

“ I died. Changes a person.” How to explain it to someone...that was something he’d never quite figured out, and for a moment he wondered if it was even possible. But Andrew had worked with powered people, and he’d lived with the aftermath of what could happen if things went south. The only person who could help was going to be Andrew- the only one who could understand  _ would  _ _ have _ to be him. “During the Battle of New York. I died, and when S.H.I.E.L.D brought me back they did it with some pretty powerful alien DNA. It wasn’t safe...and the side effects were intense, to say the least.”

“Sounds like a pretty interesting story. But if you're asking me to be your therapist, Coulson -”

“ You’re the only one I can go to. I...it’s still there, the memories of what I did, and I can’t turn to anyone else, Andrew. Melinda needs to take care of herself- she can only have my back so far.”

“ And she'd die trying,” Andrew murmured, reaching for the notebook on his desk and flipping it open. Picking up a pen and tapping it absently on the lined pages. “She still hasn't talked to anyone about what happened, has she?”

“ No. But  _ I _ have to- about what happened to me.” When the dreams had started again, the absent invisible doodles he’d managed to hide from May- he’d known he needed someone to help him make sense of everything he’d gone through over the past few years. And Andrew Garner was the person he could trust, and by the look on his face Phil knew it made sense to him as well. “So how about it, Doctor? Any openings for new patients?”

“ Consider it done, Phil.” As he rose Andrew rose with him, reaching across to offer his hand. “Call me in the meantime, if anything flares up?”

“ Thanks.” It was the first time he’d felt relief in weeks, knowing that he was moving in the right direction, and Phil dredged up a smile. Maybe the nightmares would stop again, and he could dream of getting S.H.I.E.L.D back in shape for real- but only after he finally was in shape, himself.

It could take a while...but he expected the results would be worth the wait.


End file.
